THE MARCH PRIMARY CLASS

To the Primary Class of the Massachusetts MetaphysicalCollege, 571 Columbus Avenue, that Assembled Feb. 25,1889, with an Attendance of Sixty-five Students

My students, three picture-stories from the Bible present
themselves to my thought; three of those pictures
from which we learn without study. The first is that of
Joshua and his band before the walls of Jericho. They
went seven times around these walls, the seven times
corresponding to the seven days of creation: the six days
are to find out the nothingness of matter; the seventh
is the day of rest, when it is found that evil is naught
and good is all.
The second picture is of the disciples met together in
an upper chamber; and they were of one mind. Mark,
that in the case of Joshua and his band they had all to
shout together in order that the walls might fall; and the
disciples, too, were of one mind.
We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert
the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole
world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when theMISC 280
earth was without form, and Mind spake and form
appeared.
The third picture-lesson is from Revelation, where, at
the opening of the seals, one of the angels presented himself
with balances to weigh the thoughts and actions of
men; not angels with wings, but messengers of pure and
holy thoughts that say, See thou hurt not the holy things
of Truth.
You have come to be weighed; and yet, I would not
weigh you, nor have you weighed. How is this? Because
God does all, and there is nothing in the opposite
scale. There are not two, - Mind and matter. We
must get rid of that notion. As we commonly think, we
imagine all is well if we cast something into the scale of
Mind, but we must realize that Mind is not put into the
scales with matter; then only are we working on one side
and in Science.
The students of this Primary class, dismissed the fifth
of March, at close of the lecture on the fourth presented
their teacher with an elegant album costing fifty dollars,
and containing beautiful hand-painted flowers on each
page, with their autographs. The presentation was made
in a brief address by Mr. D. A. Easton, who in appropriate
language and metaphor expressed his fellow-students'
thanks to their teacher.
On the morning of the fifth, I met the class to answer
some questions before their dismissal, and allude briefly
to a topic of great import to the student of Christian
Science, - the rocks and sirens in their course, on and
by which so many wrecks are made. The doors of animal
magnetism open wide for the entrance of error, sometimes
just at the moment when you are ready to enter onMISC 281
the fruition of your labors, and with laudable ambition
are about to chant hymns of victory for triumphs.
The doors that this animal element flings open are
those of rivalry, jealousy, envy, revenge. It is the
self-asserting mortal will-power that you must guard against.
But I find also another mental condition of yours that
fills me with joy. I learned long ago that the world could
neither deprive me of something nor give me anything,
and I have now one ambition and one joy. But if
one cherishes ambition unwisely, one will be chastened
for it.
Admiral Coligny, in the time of the French Huguenots,
was converted to Protestantism through a stray copy of